Petite bourgeoisie — Petit bourgeoisie (or petty bourgeois through folk etymology) is a French term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social classes in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Starting from the mid 19th century, the term was used… … Wikipedia

petite bourgeoisie — (or petty bourgeoisie) Defined by Karl Marx as a ‘transitional class’, in which the interests of the major classes of capitalist society (the bourgeoisie and the proletariat ) meet and become blurred, the petite bourgeoisie is located between… … Dictionary of sociology